County water or well
| WASD county water | Private well | |
|---|---|---|
| Plant softening | Lime treatment at Orr | None |
| Softener decision | Only if measured hardness bothers you | Often part of the system |
| Other priorities | Chloramine | Lab test for bacteria and nitrate; iron; odor |
WASD's report does not publish a hardness figure for the main system, so test your tap.
Softening on a Pinecrest well
The Village's well guidance asks owners to test regularly for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH. A softener addresses none of those; it removes hardness. So on a drinking well the order is: lab test first, then a system that handles iron, hardness and odor, with the softener sized together with the iron number, because iron can foul softener resin. Drinking water then gets its own stage, usually RO.
When it makes sense on county water
- A measured hardness that still leaves scale you care about.
- Equipment that is sensitive to scale, such as some tankless heaters.
- Businesses with heavy hot-water use, such as restaurants, gyms, salons and schools along US-1.
For many connected homes, the complaint is chloramine instead; see softener vs. filter.
Sizing on county water is usually modest because the Orr plant has already removed part of the hardness. A properly programmed, metered softener on a large home uses salt based on actual water use, not a calendar.
How ion exchange works
Resin beads swap calcium and magnesium for sodium or potassium, then the unit regenerates with brine and rinses the hardness to the drain. Metered regeneration uses salt and water based on actual use. WASD lists sodium at 33 ppm on the main system; a softener adds some in proportion to hardness removed, and potassium chloride is an alternative. On a septic property, ask how the regeneration drain will be routed. See salt-free vs. ion exchange.
Old softener, new county water
If you connected to WASD through the Village's water project, a softener installed for your old well may still be running. It will work, but softening water that the Orr plant already lime-softened may not be worth the salt. Jorge tests before and after it and tells you whether to keep it.
Start with a test
See softener cost in Pinecrest for what drives price. Call, text or WhatsApp Jorge at (305) 793-5974.
https://www.miamidade.gov/resources/water/documents/2025-water-quality-report.pdf
https://www.pinecrest-fl.gov/Resident/Water/Your-Well-Water
https://www.miamidade.gov/resources/environment/documents/vulnerability-septic-systems-sea-level-rise.pdf
Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist